The Chamber of Commerce of Seville has released a report titled 'Direct economic consequences of the suspension of the AVE Madrid-Sevilla in the province of Seville', prepared by the company Merkadhok. The report aims to assess the impact of the service interruption caused by the railway accident in Urda, Toledo, on 28 October.
The presentation was attended by several key figures, including Francisco Herrero, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Seville; Juan Bueno, spokesperson for the municipal government of Seville; and representatives from various tourism and hospitality associations.
Before discussing the technical details, all institutional representatives expressed their condolences and respect for the victims and those affected by the tragic accident, emphasising that the human tragedy takes precedence over all other considerations.
According to the report, the suspension of train services is projected to result in direct economic losses for the province of between €1.38 and €1.48 million per day throughout November, and between €1.26 and €1.34 million daily in December. This estimate includes the direct spending of travellers who are unable to travel, such as food, leisure, and shopping (estimated at €87 per night per person), accommodation in hotels and tourist apartments (€113 per room in November and €107 in December), and local consumption at the station and nearby areas for those not staying overnight (€15 per trip).
The analysis does not account for indirect impacts on employment or suppliers, tax revenues, or the cancellation of fairs and conferences, indicating that the overall damage is likely to be significantly higher.
In terms of mobility, over 6,300 people are no longer arriving in Seville by train each day. Despite airlines adding approximately 1,218 extra seats daily and road transport options (1,430 bus and 1,100 private vehicle travellers), these alternatives are insufficient to meet the usual demand for high-speed travel.
During the press conference, Francisco Herrero stressed the urgency of action: “The economy must continue, and the Chamber of Commerce must ensure that Seville regains this vital connection.” Juan Bueno, the municipal spokesperson, firmly stated that “in these times of mourning and pain for families, which is above any valuation, we must express that this accident has resulted in the complete deterioration of the Madrid-Sevilla railway connection. This growth requires first-class infrastructure; the report demonstrates that Seville's lifeblood can be cut off if no measures are taken. Our province is losing between €1.3 and €1.5 million daily, which directly affects the efforts of Seville residents to run their businesses.”
From the hotel sector, Jorge Castilla raised concerns about the long-term outlook. “We are worried about the medium and long term. The immediate impact is the cancellation of short-term bookings, as well as the cancellation of events due to mourning, directly affecting hotels. In the long term, we are concerned about reputation; Seville ranked highly in tourism among European capitals with an average occupancy of 75%. If bookings continue to decline in January and February, which is the low season, it will be very detrimental to the sector.”
Jorge Robles, representing the tourism businesses (ASET), highlighted that “beyond the human tragedy, there are many values that will not be recovered in the short term, and drastic measures must be taken. For us, Madrid is essential as we receive a significant number of important and premium clients. The average impact is 20%, although some businesses are severely affected by convention cancellations, so we demand accountability and improvements.”
Alfonso Maceda, president of the hoteliers, emphasised Seville's vulnerability due to the lack of viable alternatives. “We have no alternative; there is only one railway line, Seville-Madrid, and it is crucial. We will lose travellers during significant periods, so we urge the authorities to resolve this as soon as possible, as the cost, especially in terms of employment, will be noticeable.”
Finally, Javier Galán, CEO of Merkadhok and author of the report, concluded the presentation by detailing the methodology of the technical analysis and warning of the severe income losses that the productive fabric of the province is already experiencing, not accounting for the indirect impact that will be even greater.
